The Hooligan That Unleashed Chaos In Britain! Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V (Opel Kadett GSi 16v)

[@anthonybedford8553]

I'm 70yrs old and live in Spain, I recently bought a opel astra gsi 16v red top for peanuts. Its on 17inch wheels lowered and gas shocks etc. I've had motorbikes all my life but this thing beats anything I've ever rode and I can't stop grinning from ear to ear as soon as I get behind the wheel, pulls like a train and corners like it's on rails oh and it's rust free. 😊❤

[@davidroche7685]

The motorbikes you must of had ware liitle beginner 125s or very slow grandady bikes of a sort then lol . The car Is quick enough particularly for it's time. But hey it only runs 15s in the quarter Mile. You do know that is laughable slow compared to most motorbikes right? Lol. small basic motorbikes on the street like a little bandit 6 or sv 650 would smoke it without trying and they are very slow compared to the big sportbikes. The car is nippy for what it is but don't get carried away now!

[@Terraceview]

Motorbikes or mopeds? There's a difference you know?

[@stewills9711]

Must have been MOPEDS not real bikes. The Astra GTE is slow as shit.

[@danwhitaker5168]

Corners like the wheels are on sideways! I've driven a lot of fast older vauxhalls and they are all terrible!

[@podulox]

I'm 50 years old and you're right... I'm more a Mk1 Golf Gti guy but I appreciate the GTE-thing - I remember it was in the news a lot back then... My best Mk1 Gti had a TSR 2.0 8v in it (big head + inlet & exhaust work) so I know what cars of that type and that era could be like - It sounds as if the GTE was a bit like my Golf... :) I wish you happy days with your solid GSi :)

[@leonleenders3130]

At 48yo this is my era. I was a 5 GT turbo guy but the Astra 16v was always a beast from the lights! More 80s/90s hot hatches please Jack

[@colinscutt5104]

same but Ford all the way, and ever since too, I still drive a Sierra 😁

[@davidhealy4534]

How is it your era? I'm 49 and passed my test in 1996,this is an 80's car.

[@Hopgop1]

@@davidhealy4534 Could've passed in 1992, plus these cars would've been much more affordable once they weren't brand new.

[@christopherludlam1602]

Would love you to do an MG Maestro Jack. Any of them would be fun to hear your verdict on. I had the 1600

[@ianlowden6168]

At 48, this could not have been your era! I had a D reg, 8 valve around 86 when I was 23. You would be around 10 in 1988!

[@caeserromero3013]

My dad had a Jet black GTE in the mid 80's. It was FAST (first time I was ever in a car doing 100mph, on the way back from a holiday in Somerset). The electric dash made you feel like Michael Knight in Knight rider (and looked like the dash of the Corvette). Ours also had the velour seats, which I ruined by bleeding all over the back seat after having a mishap with a pen knife I'd just bought at Kempton market as a 10 year old. I still have a feint scar on my left index finger 35 year later!

[@64bakes]

@@caeserromero3013 I still have a Senator 24v as a bit of a weekend toy for shows etc, and that has a similar digi dash to the Astra GTE. It still looks so cool every time I drive it, but those digital clocks are a bit fiddly to fix when they go wrong (and they will go wrong).

[@caeserromero3013]

@@64bakes My grandad had the Maestro that talked 'Your seatbelt is not fastened' etc. So between my dads GTE and Grandads Maestro I had the full Knight rider experience 😂😂

[@64bakes]

@@caeserromero3013 🤣 yes! Before you ask, I'm sad enough to have sat through the entire Maestro talking dash test procedure on KZbin before now....

[@caeserromero3013]

@@64bakes Wow, that's dedication 😄

[@davidhollenshead4892]

I always preferred proper analog gauges and never found gimmicks like a digital dash as desirable. But then I am a bit of a Luddite since I have never owned an automatic and until recently my daily driver was a 1984 Audi 4000q. I wish my Mustang GT had old school gauges so I could rotate them so that normal is pointing up, but it's not bad for a 2007 car...

[@talljoolz]

I was on work experience as a 15 year old, at a Vauxhall garage. I was assigned to a mechanic for the week and they had a customers 16v Astra in for a service. This was done and the road test was conducted. The road test was maxing it out at 136mph down a new bypass ,because the mechanic wanted to see if it was true that a rumour the LED dashboard blanked out at full speed was true. It didn't go blank, but then he realised he need to brake fast, overheated the front discs and back at the garage told the customer his discs were warped and they need replacing. Needless to say I did not go into the motor trade, nor ever full trust a mechanics opinion!

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

More than a few mechanics have fallen victim to hidden dashcams in recent years doing stuff like that.

[@MP-po6fj]

​@@AWMJoeyjoejoebrilliant to hear people are putting dash and in and wire them to the 12v supply inform the garage you have one fitted. Rule out that rouge ness. Crook mechanic had neck to tell the customer it needed brake discs and pads their warped. Should of been sacked.

[@MP-po6fj]

What a crook to red line a customers car thats paying their wages in work. Garage name can be wrecked in second. Ex indie mechanic I brought a guy in when I had too much work on. Great mechanic. I rebuilt a redtop for a customer told him. To take it home put 40 mile max on it over the weekend drive it slow. Change oil and filter Monday and give back to the client monday check for oil leaks Was seen red lining it by petrol heads. Lost the clients work and got rid of him. Liability.. Taught me to just work myself and so what I can myself. Trust no other mechanics tbh. Dashcams werent invented in the 90s

[@fred3527]

While on work experience at Alfa in the 80's, the mechanic, and his supervisor invited 2 of us on a test ride. The extra weight caused the wheel arches to damage the side walls of the tyres on a new GTV 2.5 having its run in oil service. They where trying to be nice to us, but not so good for the customers tyres.

[@fred3527]

Took my 535d into a panel shop for minor repairs and they took it for a joy ride. It's one of the downsides of owning a performance variant of a brand. At some point you have to hand it over to someone for maintenance and who knows how it will be driven.

[@jontheodore8450]

In 1990 I had one of these as a company car in white loved it!! That Red top 16v was the best engine Vauxhall ever made way ahead in its day & was very quick for its time use to love shocking the BMWs of the day, great fun car & great to see they are still out there...

[@michaelhynds8035]

Aged 12-13 in 1984 I spent many a school lunch break in the neighbouring Vauxhall-Opel showroom admiring these GTEs.

[@TheSometimeAfter]

I initially read that completely wrong...

[@andygj66]

I had one of these and it’s exactly as you describe. You could wind it up to incredible speeds really quickly and with no cameras to worry about. The engine was massively overpowered for the chassis and I well remember that lightness as the speed increased. There was this constant feeling that if you overcooked it, you could easily lose control even in a straight line. It was that rawness though that made it such fun to drive. I’d have one again in a heartbeat.

[@incognito96]

I fully built my red top myself,, Courtney cam shafts, i polished and ported the head, lightened pistons, it had a cost cast head , but they didnt run on cone k&n filter. Mine was 190 bhp naturally aspirated, had that car for 17 years.

[@podulox]

^Nutter!!!

[@VintageSG]

My boss at a long defunct place of work had one and he had it modded rather a lot. The steering rack was replaced with a manual rack. Power steering would have been nice at parking speed, but it was much better without it at speed. The feel into a corner was sorted by a *softer* front anti-roll bar. Lowered but not stiffened suspension and lighter low speed compression damping courtesy of some very expensive replacement units. A touch of negative camber front and rear plus I think a change to the castor and toe angles ( it was a long time ago ) I drove it before and after the changes. It went from slightly unsettling and capable of catastrophic understeer in the wet to utterly planted, if a little heavy to park. What he didn't do was muck about with the engine or brakes too much. We'd drive to site in it. He'd drive there, I'd drive back. Post mods, it was very easy to drive rather quickly in total confidence. Oh, he also had it badged as a lower model...

[@tomstickland]

I had a manual quickrack. Made it like a go cart, but they wore out quickly. Decent tyres and lower suspension and the handling was predictable, lift off oversteer rather than understeer. I ended up with solid engine mounts and other silliness too.

[@davidhollenshead4892]

In the UK, I would have made it look like the base model too, as that helps prevent being a magnet for speeding tickets...

[@GeorgesChannel]

I drove one in the 90's. I remember the car exactly how its described in the video. The engine pulled very hard in every gear, the car was very fast, but you did not feel very confident in it. It also was a rattle box. Brakes were not convincing eitther. But what an icon of a car. Thank you for the review!

[@bzilla-d4i]

It's a pity you guys never got the Superboss spec GSI's in the UK, those blew the doors off anything around during that period. Cosworth head, Schrick Cams, Digifant ECU, front LSD. 125kw(168hp) 228nm, put the SA exclusive E30 333i and 325iS of the time to shame. UK spec I think if I'm not mistaken had 115kw and 200nm, the Superboss held the record for most torque per litre of any N/A automobile until the Ferrari 430 broke its record. A Superboss would set you back between £12500-25000 now.

[@PKDionysus]

I genuinely applauded this comment. Wanted a Superboss so badly in my youth.

[@LeonKotze70]

I wonder if there was one that made 125kW... that was an extremely conservative rating.

[@bzilla-d4i]

@@LeonKotze70 they were tuned for torque, but I doubt they made 125kw, that's what Delta claimed at the time, it felt a lot more than that at the time, especially they way they outperformed the 325iS and the 333i. Seemed like a lot more. But then again they weighed only 925kgs. They didn't even come with fog lights, they stripped them bare.

[@LeonKotze70]

@@bzilla-d4i I can remember back in the day, think it was CAR mag that stated Delta tested a couple of engines, the weakest one made 133 if I remember correctly. The fog lights made way for the cooling intakes for the front discs. But you are right, no power windows, nothing...

[@bzilla-d4i]

@@LeonKotze70 I have that Car magazine stashed somewhere, I need to go dig it up in my garage, it hurts my heart when I look at Opel today.

[@stevepurdy2451]

Thank you Jack for putting all your time and love of cars into this channel, it’s pretty much my favorite now out of all the KZbin car channels because you can really feel that passion for these older (brilliant) cars coming through, much appreciation and respect my friend

[@kennywallace1]

Had two of these in the early 90's. Was 22 when I got my Black G-plate 16v GTE with 15" Speedlines, Janspeed Exhaust, PMC springs with remote Pioneer headunit, amp & speakers. Grey H-plate 8v GTE was next. I managed to squeeze a set of Team Dynamics 17" wheels under the arches after having the rear lips rolled to make space. Funny to think that 17" wheels were considered huge back then. Black one was on the receiving end of several theft attempts, but thanks to the insurance company insisting I fit a Clifford alarm, no one managed to steel it. Loved them both.

[@Statueshop297]

17” were huge. I remember my mate got an Orion with 16” venoms and they were massive. Today my Qashqai has 17” and I want 20”+ as they look little.

[@GT380man]

@@Statueshop297Its a date thing. I’ve a classic 911 on an 04 plate and it’s 18” polished shot blasted five spoke alloys look the nuts. The 295 rears are huge for such a small vehicle. The suspension is already pretty firm, and fitting bigger wheels would mean taking it out of the sidewalls, making it too harsh. My 02 Mk4 Golf & my wife’s 52 Mk1 TT both also had 18” wheels. They looked right 20 years ago. Now we’ve wheel inflation as standard!

[@timk3939]

People always used to fit fuel injection boost valves to these (pressure regulators?), I went in a 2.0 16v that had one and it had insane pickup compared to normal ones, do you know what they were all about?

[@foxmeister06]

@@timk3939 Sure it was an FSE Boost Valve, had one on my Nova GTE also

[@timk3939]

@@foxmeister06 Nice, that rings a bell, thanks.

[@limpet7r63]

Still a brilliant looking thing IMO. And one of the best and most distinctive sounding (and looking) four cylinder engines ever made. That rasp couldn’t come from anything else. And that digital dash, crap as it objectively was, is fantastic! They offered normal dials as a no cost option but I’ve never seen one with them. This is one of those cars that I remember really fondly, and used to enjoy driving, but in a way would actually be quite reluctant to drive now in case it ruined the memories. Oh, who am I kidding, I’d love one!

[@vx.calibre2901]

the optional no cost dials included the 8k/rpm rev counter. Proper hooligan gauge

[@paulboyle6857]

The Vauxhall 16v "red top" engine is legendary & still used extensively in many a competition car on track & hillclimb.The CVH in the Escorts' whether turbo or not was a "dog with fleas"(a Gordon Gekko quote from the 80,s movie "Wall St"!)

[@paultaylor5502]

Had 4 GTEs, 2 Mk1s and 2 Mk2s, the 16v engine was superb in the day and gave me 168bhp on the rollers in standard tune. Still preferred my B Reg Black 1.8 Mk1 GTE, great engine again (with only 115 bhp) but went around corners as well as most at the time and IMO looked great, i was (and still am) a fan of the more angular shape,

[@MP-po6fj]

They say the mk1 Astra GTE was the best handling of the three astra models.

[@TheMirrorGuy]

I had a black mk1 GTE, it is my favourite of all the astras for looks. Also had a mk2 GTE convertible, which could match the RS turbos for speed. 30 years on I now have a mk4 astra turbo convertible, which packs a punch with 197bhp. Not bad for a car that cost just £1500 around 5 years ago, with 60k on the clock and one owner from new and a full service history. Sadly I don't think my driving is as good as it used to be.

[@olliedee]

My mk1 is to this day my favourite car! I went right through them, the cav Sri, the cav gsi, up to and including the carlton gsi 3000 24v ,loved them all but nothing felt like my mk1❤

[@MP-po6fj]

@@paultaylor5502 great memories and info Paul I hear the mk1 astra chassis handled very well. The mk2 understeer and reet one wheel lift with all that 16v hp lol. Rebuilt so many in a indie garage oil pump failure was an issue of the 16v redtop around 130k or so

[@MP-po6fj]

@@olliedee woah you've had a wealth of all the iconic vauxhalls top brands.. Great memories undeed there sir.. Mk1 great chassis also.. Were on rails

[@hownowrybrows]

Great era for cars, used to love an old vauxhall

[@dylansmit3883]

I had an 8-valve Calibra swapped with the redtop out of a 1987 Kadett GSi 16V (European Astra GTE 16V) with a Lexmaul longtube intake on it. It was hilariously fast. You could really tell Cosworth had developed it as a proper touring car engine.

[@fossilfish786]

That redtop was truly a great engine. Miss the rasp of it.

[@timk3939]

They were immense. Even the 1.8s in the SRis felt nice and torquey compared to the competition, had a nice little woofle/grumble at about 2000rpm too, and good pickup from low revs.

[@64bakes]

​​@@timk3939the 1.8s were great engines. The Mk1 GTE had the 1.8, then really early Mk2 GTEs upto D plate also had them, until they changed over to the 2 litre 8 valve and started badging the 1.8 cars as SRI's. My Dad had an early Mk2 GTE 5 door (really rare car. He wanted a 3 door but as it was a company car that was policy for his company) which was a 1.8. He stacked it on the A1 and was lucky to walk away after an encounter with a deer! Those 1.8's were easily good for 120mph, which was quick in the mid-late Eighties!

[@TC-V8]

They were heavy though!

[@timk3939]

@@64bakes Yes they felt good. I test drove a mint bright red SRi with the 1.8 and it was a nice drive, really good torque low down, and nippy. I couldn't afford it at the time but just wanted to drive something nice.

[@toohottie001]

@@timk3939 I preferred my sri BELMONT to a 3dr sri I had, it just felt better planted, even tho it is the only fwd car I have ever had a full brown trouser on a bend oversteer moment.

[@paulriggers1558]

these cars were the easiest to steal, in the boot was a factory-fit screwdriver that forced the door lock with ease, then it pulled the ignition switch out, then it fitted in the slot in the switch perfectly to start it up. kick the spoke on the wheel, lock snapped, + away in a haze of tyre smoke... i recovered hundreds of these for the police, some even repeat customers... i made my fortune in the late 80s-early 90s - good time to have a recovery truck ! too much sidewall on the standard tyres, lower profile sharpened them right up

[@innertuition7363]

very easy to steal, as were most cars back then, vauxhalls ya just needed to put a flat end screwdriver in door, move left to right 3-4 times, get in, snap the steering lock easy, rip off the steering cowling, pop the black box off back of ignition, put screwdriver in black box and drive away... all within 30 seconds... fords ya just needed a screw driver and a 1ft piece of scaff bar, vw golfs and gt turbos screwdriver and stilsons.. if they were alarmed you could just rip wires out of the siren/horn..

[@paulriggers1558]

@@innertuition7363 you know too much, which side were you working for then...

[@Andy-co6pn]

​@innertuition7363 some scrote tried this on my RS Turbo and was defeated by the aftermarket immobiliser,no before snapping the steering lock and forcing the door lock.

[@Toxic2T]

@@paulriggers1558 lol

[@innertuition7363]

@@paulriggers1558 in my teens (late 80s+early90s) i was a dick.. i regret being involved in taking peoples cars.. i went to jail in 92, came out in 94 and gave up stealing.. not been to jail since..

[@timk3939]

That looks like a gem. My mate was in love with these in the late 90s, he had a 1.8 8v, 2.0 8v then a 2.0 16V. All the engines were rice and rorty and torquey, but the 16v was a gem. You're right, the RS Turbo felt flat in comparison, and the Golfs too, they were too smooth. And Vauxhall power steering at the time was dire, no feel when you needed it. The digital dash was a nice touch too, and yes some of the cars had a rev counter that followed the torque curve, from memory. I briefly owned a couple of Senators which were trade-ins at a friend's garage, I would buy most things that nobody wanted. They had much better steering feel than Astras and Cavaliers, I guess the price meant they could use higher quality parts. The Senator 2.6 with the dual ram intake was a lovely car, felt fast, and really got under the skin, and you could lean on it and do power slides. I wonder if the Calibras improved things at all on the handling front, I imagine the Calibra turbo could be chipped to late 200s bhp so could be entertaining if it's not a battle to drive. Also love the look of the Rover 200 Coupe Turbos, but hear they are a bit of a handful. I drove a Renault 19 16v ('Chamade'! / saloon), and that drove quite well, then engine was zippy, but it did feel a bit flimsy. The 405 SRi and Mi16 felt very nippy indeed also. And for Diesels the 306 TD was the original 'cool' Diesel hot hatch, later than the Golf IIRC but the Golf Diesels had a staid image at the time, before the GT TDi came out.

[@Simon-ry1lw]

The red top engine was fantastic, made that Mk2 Astra something special. Performance is totally different to modern turbos. My other favourite hatch was the Mk1 Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec, probably the best handling car for everyday driving on fast B roads

[@zarrg1]

I once had one, and I know one thing you have to look out for, is the mounting for the steering rack on the drivers side. It's only the drivers side mount that stops the rack from sliding side to side, and the mount flexes and eventually shears off the bulkhead and allows the rack to move. A bit of welding and some exhaust clamps on the passenger side later will sort the job.

[@Lazy_Jay_Racing]

My poor little 1.8 8v GTE 5 door was probably the least cool of the mk2's but i bought it of my mate for £1600, in my early twenties 1997/98 ish .. it was my first sporty car and i bloody loved it... Had great fun in it and it survived numerous thrashings from Leicestershire to Wales, Derbyshire, Cumbria etc.. it certainly had it's problems (rusting rear arches, electronic issues etc) but i was sad to part with it. I always lusted after the 2.0 16v version.. I later realised how much better a mk2 Golf gti was (similar year) when I bought one. Still glad to have owned an Astra GTE in my lifetime 😁👍 Thank you Jack, for featuring the GTE 👏

[@DarrenH_76]

@Lazy_Jay_Racing 1.8 5 door now achingly rare as it was only produced for a year! big fan of the early 1.8 though, it has the 16v sparkle coming to life at high revs

[@stuartrhodes7352]

I also had a 1.8 8v 5 door,, can remember the reg C431GTX, my mates used to call it a replica as there were no other 5 doors!, great memories, that car also ended up getting nicked!👍

[@jom1164]

I had a Mk2 Golf GTI E reg (87) plate great car and the only car I bought, sold and then bought back again. Also owned a white Astra SXI H reg, was a good car as well.

[@stevensofroniou]

I had one of these and it’s one of the most fun cars I’ve ever had for the money I was running it in at Castle Combe circuit nothing overtook me except the legend Gerry Marshall in a Porsche Turbo and even he asked me what on earth engine has that got in it and because I was a former rally champion on tarmac in the UK in my 6R4 group B car I was using lift off oversteer and the handbrake in some corners it was a real compliment coming from Gerry Marshall and he kept saying to a crowd I had around my car that’s it’s the driver that peddles a car not just the engine ! It revved forever ! I had a Porsche 911SC Convertible and a Sierra Cosworth in my garage to but I found myself driving the Astra everywhere as I just loved seeing the look in people’s faces when they tried to challenge me in track when it was fully run in . I’ll never forget my Astra GTE 16 v

[@notmanynamesleft]

My GUTT feeling is that almost all of these cars would do 140+mph out of the box.

[@tafkawac]

mine might have ;-)

[@chrisbrown6494]

​@tafkawac mine too!

[@meldaultrey-st9ni]

The best hot hatch in period. I raced one at Donington Park in 1990 (Jim Russell Racing School). Our instructors included Anthony Reid and Kelvin Burt. Fantastic experience and I recall that the Astra 16v handled pretty well actually.

[@a0r0a7]

I had a 1.8 LXi Astra, went well. One day off of a bend then down a straight I had a Cavalier GSi 2000 up my rear pushing me, I thought I will show you, put my foot down, the GSi passed me like I was stationary. I know these GSi Astras were dam quick too.

And to be fair those 1.8 Astras weren't exactly slouches either!

[@trajanaugustus8783]

I had the joy of owning a 1989 Kadett GSi16v (German spec'd). I always loved taking it on the autobahn and watching more powerful BMW's, Mercedes etc. look surprised as my little GSi would leave them in the dust from 120-190kmh. They could catch up then, but still the joy these pocket rockets were back then. Oh, and my car never had a problem with cornering or handling. Once you 200+ kmh or so, you would hear the wind noise and rattles all the way up to 232kmh. Fun times then for sure.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Had one briefly in silk violet it was a fantastic looking car and drove lovely.

[@saxonuk14]

If that was the purple colour I remember, it did suit that car well.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

@saxonuk14 Yes that's the one

​@@paulie-Gualtieri. Is that the colour the soft tops all seemed to be in? Like you say though, super rare but great colour on the GTE.

[@SeanGavin-rf5vd]

We had these in South Africa. But the Opel Kadett GSI. There were baseline and mid tier versions of the Kadett then there was a GSI 2.0 L 8 valve that made 130PS and visually looked identical to this car. The 16V version had 15 inch wheels and produced 156PS. Then there was a homologation run of 500 GSI's called the Superboss. Producing 170 PS and came with the F20 LSD gearbox and 15 inch Aluett 5 spoke rims finished in a gunmetal metallic and polished rim. The spotlights were also deleted and replaced with functional brake cooling ducts as well as harder suspension that sat 30mm lower than standard. .

[@markrossow6303]

C00L

[@1066gaz]

I had a 1990 mk2 astra 1.8 sri version and i did 192,000 miles with it . The engine, gearbox and clutch was all original and still perfect when i sold it with that mileage. The 1.8 sri and this 2.0 16v gte was the best vauxhalls ever made.

I remember a mate having a pre face lift mk2 Cavalier SRi 1.8 hatch in the early 90s that we'd knock about in. It felt like an absolute rocket! I'd love a pre face-lift saloon but they're getting rare and as a consequence rather pricey now. Oh for a time machine, a barn and about 8 grand in cash!

[@Tacko14]

Looking back, that Astra was really beautiful. Not the details, mucho cheapo plastico, but the overall shape? So pure. I never noticed that back then. The 309 had that too, a very basic no frills design that just looked good as is. I once drove a 309 8v, it felt so natural. Like your fav pair of sneakers.

I was never a fan of these back in the day but looking at them now, they're a great looking car. Swoopy, wide, aggressive and muscular in stance!

[@DoubleA115]

In White.

[@tug1345]

It will feel quick, it's 1 tonne car with 150bhp = around 150 bhp per tonne, look at more modern cars that match it or better, anything 1 and half tonne will need atleast 225 bhp to match it's power to weight

[@tz6414]

Drove all the 80s hatches and bought a three year old 1988 16v. It remains to this day one of my favourite cars, pulled from 2k to almost 7k with a gruff intake growl, just a superb engine. Never had a problem with the handling, left them all for dead nothing could touch it. The early ones were the best , the rev counter mimicked the power curve.

[@darrenlucas2768]

Even the 8v 2.0 litre mark two GTE,s were quick.....so much torque over the 1.8...... and you could see 140mph

[@cutterbacon]

I had the mohair edition.

[@christianchristiansen99]

I think the fact that you forgot to record the outro, actually speaks volumes of the car ;) My dad’s friend bought one of these in the late 80’s and being just 7 or 8 years old, I didn’t pay particular attention to the handling, but still remember being absolutely mesmerized by the digital dash and the flickering numbers on the speedo as he whipped it through the gears on the back roads.. As someone else mentioned, at the time, this was pure Knight Rider sci-fi stuff..

[@victorbox6289]

Wonderful time in the 1980's/90's when Vauxhall/Opel cars were magnificent!

[@Dani-it5sy]

Imagine how much fun cars were back then compared to now.

[@chestnut01111]

The seats are technically Recaro's, but all the seats in Vauxhalls of this era and up to 1997 were stamped Recaro underneath.

[@DarrenH_76]

as you say, not recaro but famously an opel copy of (although legend says there were stickers on some seat runners)

[@nikoladamjanovic2313]

​@@DarrenH_76 they are made by recaro for opel, opel was owned by GM back then and they where blowing money and had expencive supliers, bosh headlights and managment, recaro seats, ronal wheels, getrag transmisions, shame they dod not invest in rist protection

[@davidhollenshead4892]

@@DarrenH_76 Keep in mind that Recaro both designs seats and also supplies them to automakers. There isn't much difference between the two, except the price...

[@DarrenH_76]

@@nikoladamjanovic2313 "the sports front seats fitted to the new astra gte are a completely new GM design and combine exceptional support demanded by the sporting driver without sacrificing comfort" quote internal press release from vauxhall PR manager ken moyes. new vauxhall astra august 1984

[@Galahadfairlight]

​@DarrenH_76 those front seats in the Astra GTe, Cavalier GSI and Carlton GSI were all made by Recaro.

[@southcoastbenji]

I had a few MK2 Golf GTI 16v and thought they went quite well. I was genuinely shocked when my mate took me out in his MK2 Astra GTE 16v. Bloody thing didn’t stop accelerating! When people started junking the injection system and fitting SBD tapered throttle bodies, they were outrageously fast!! Then things got even more exciting, when people were fitting these 16v engines equipped with the SBD tapered throttle bodies into the Novas! They were some seriously quick motors! 😂

[@1061shrink1061]

It’s funny, back in the day, I had the 1994 cavalier SRI, which had the redtop in it, and not much of a weight difference from the GTE. In my 20’s it felt like an utterly mad fast thing. It’s funny to think that my modern mx5 has the same power to weight and doesn’t feel as fast as that did then. It’s not that the car was faster, but my perception of it in my 20’s was of it being fast. Top tip is that the cavalier Sri with the same engine, was much much cheaper to insure, and had more relaxed but more predictable handling. The earlier cavalier GSI with the same engine even had independent rear suspension, but this added quite a lot of weight!

[@DoubleA115]

I don't remember the SRI ever having a red top. GSI yes but i could be wrong. Had loads as i used to mend accident damaged Vauxhall's in the early 90's. Shelled 3/4 Cavaliers and 3/4 MK2 GTE's.

[@karlc4352]

I had 3 over the years, change the wheels tyres. Suspension.bushes ,brakes and they are decent cars best engine in the day like a k20 nowadays

[@majordelays4909]

Astra K 1.6 was perfect enough for me for the last 6 years. Loved it, but wanted more (power)

[@smhorse]

Blackbird Leys estate in Oxford wasn't just a joyriding centre, but they also had one or two quite serious riots in the 1989-91 period. I'm not sure much has changed since then.....

[@kriswilson265]

The best car to come out of Vauxhall

[@ruttspeed]

Mk2 16v just the best. Drove loads after fitting alarms and immobilisers. Just superb. I had a mk3 gsi. Wish I'd kept it.😢

[@paulfowler7618]

Great to see this video as I owned a G plate red one of these for 5 years and loved it. Before that I had an 8 valve which I also loved. Brings back great memories of my favourite 80s hot hatch.👍

[@TheRip72]

Interesting comments about the steering. My first 2 cars were a Mk1 Astra 1300 then a Mk Cav SRi. Both felt good & neither had power steering. They did not need it either because they were very light & gave good feedback. My next was a Mk3 Cav CDi. That did have power steering & felt weird in the way you describe: accelerate hard & it became way too light with no feel at all. I think GMs power steering ruined the car. Regarding the 'fun factor'. I drove a Mk2 Golf GTi 8v for a few weeks for a part time job. It felt competent but uninvolving. I was glad to get back into 1300 Astra because it was much more interesting.

[@xg5zm]

I have had one of this for several years. Partially restored and work on it to bring it to the best possible and use it quite often. The handling is not good. BUT it is incredible sensitive to small details on set up an d maintenence. For instance the rear bushes of the torsion beam play a very important role on the steering feeling. Also modern tyres do not help, recently fited Michelin PE2 and they transformed the car. Also adjusting the rear toe (in) using plates helps a lot

[@tomstickland]

I put poly bushes in and that made it a lot better. But you had to keep the greased.

[@sebastiend.5335]

I always thought it looked fragile. During that time in my early teens, it was always about the CRX or Civic with VTEC. No Opel for me! Haha. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@Matt55131]

Nice to see CRX get a shout out, still miss my old MK2 VTEC.

[@sebastiend.5335]

@@Matt55131 Lucky you owned one! I was never able to find a good one at the right price. But I did end up with a Legend Coupe 3.2. That also was a great car. And yes, I still miss it haha.

[@gjcgjc9912]

Back in the day, my first (of 3) Civics was a 1991 EF3 with the D16A9 (ZC) DOHC, non-VTEC engine. The guys with the Cavalier SRis, Astras, Ford Escort RS Turbos, R5 GTs etc. at the time couldn't believe that a normally aspirated 1.6 could perform the way it did. Great days when the car scene was truly alive and there was a good community surrounding the scene.

[@MP-po6fj]

The Honda V Tec system in the 90s opening up to 8k rpm was epic. No other car maker had that technology then.. I know bmw brought out the vanos system later. Honda tuning were years ahead. 200 nx 240z 280z 300 zx

[@sliderdriver1]

Best 80's hatch ever!

[@markfelstead2507]

Still gives me a little thrill just seeing it! I belonged to the yuppie generation of the 80s and we all spent hours talking about our company cars… escort RS3; Renault gordana, Peugeot gti, golf gti and the astra… I had the Sri which was not as powerful as the 16v but still loads of fun!

[@PhilbyFavourites]

Are you still wealthy, or are you just a grandparent and thus a grandchild repository…… Asking for a friend 😝😝😝😝😝

[@paulgospel4258]

I once had a tousel with one of these cars. I was riding my almost new Kawasaki gpz 600r. I thought as I came up behind him , it's a vauxhall evan if it is a GTE. A long fast road with a couple of sweeping bends, I new that road like the back of my hand. I had to try my hardest to keep up with him! No way could I get past. His gte and my gpz were about the same.. 😎

[@Pramogmx]

Probably me😁 I was a bit crazy back in the day.

[@siraff4461]

I had a few of those over the years. A strut brace makes the world of difference - as do stiffer bushings. Just watch the rust - especially on the inner flitches because once it gets in there its pretty much game over. I really miss them. Even standard they're ok but with stage 1 cams, exhaust, intake and a chip set up on Aldon Automotive's rolling road at the time it was a 172hp monster. 2nd, 3rd and 4th were where its strongest. Brilliant down a b road - with the chassis mods of course.

[@martinhowell5775]

Used to work up the road from aldon when I was an apprentice always loved to see what was going on in there when I was sent the scrap yard that was round the back

[@siraff4461]

@@martinhowell5775 They did some really interesting stuff over there. Its only half an hour from me so we used to be in there quite a bit between our group of mates. One lad had a 1000cc Mini they worked on. Straight cut box, cam, big valve head, twin SU's and all the rest. Went very well considering it was only a little 'un. I still remember them offering a cam regrind for something like £120 for the pair on the Astra and I just couldn't say no. Of course that led to other bits and there we were. They did my M3 evolution cams too but that was set up elswhere. Some of the rally and hillclimb stuff in there was just nuts.

[@alaricbragg7843]

Thank you for this video! These cars were amazing in racing and rallying too and probably helped the evolution of the FWD performance car immensely.

[@gavinsmith28]

I had the 2.0 8V, and also the 2.0 16V, and the handling of the 16V was so much better. Interestingly, in South Africa, the 16V had analogue instrumentation

[@tomstickland]

the 16v got an additional rear anti roll bar. It was easy to add one of those to the 8v.

[@limpet7r63]

Analogue instruments were a no cost option in the UK. I don’t think anyone ever ticked that box.

[@johnphaceas7434]

We never got these in Oz, but I think I'd happily own and drive almost any car built in the '80s these days. As a GenXer who graduated high school in '86 I am a total numpty for all '80s automotive styling, which (IMO) just looks better and better against the transformer/cockroach styling of most modern vehicles. It's also why I prefer the styling of my '81 "plastic bumper" Alfa GTV versus the earlier steel bumper cars, and why my ideal car is the Alfa 75 (preferably in 3.0L Potenziata spec - but they are bloody hard to find here in Oz these days). Nearly bought a first generation Camry a few weeks back as a cheap banger daily runabout - even they have way more style than most post-2000 cars, and are almost impossible to kill. And yes, please bring back velour!!! To this day I can still smell the plush velour of my old '89 EA Ford Fairmont Ghia as it baked in the hot West Australian sun - still the most comfortable seats of any car I've ever driven.

[@R1CH130]

I have a Red Top in my mk1 Cavalier haha and that’s RWD of course! It’s a gem of an engine! Try a Nova with a Red Top one day 😁 As for the handling, a couple of mates have said they had them and always found the mk2 Cavalier to be better handling, which I have as my daily driver. I have to confess, I’ve never driven a mk2 Astra but would love to give one a go! I’ve had a few later ones, but never a mk2

[@russhumphreys8109]

I had the 8V version as a company car in 1988. We were restricted to British manufacturers. I had a private Mk2 Golf GTi so I figured this would be very similar as a replacement. Jeez, how wrong was I😂 The Astra was one of the few cars I've had that I truly detested. Some days (in some sort of Basil Faulty parody) I would drive it on the rev limiter all day, just out of spite. It handled like a reluctant log. Drive it hard for a couple of hours and your shoulders would ache from the effort. I tried everything to get rid of it. Parked it overnight in dodgy bits of Liverpool and Birmingham. Tried to negotiate a swap for an MG Maestro😮😂with the lease company. But I was locked into a 3yr lease. At the end of 3yrs/80k miles if you parked it on uneven ground the doors wouldn't close because the shell was so floppy😮😅 Despite the abuse it was actually very reliable. Enjoyed your video, as always!

[@tomstickland]

As standard they were OK, but with a few suspension changes they were great.

[@petersimpson5859]

I drag raced against one of these in a tuned Polo G40 at Santa Pod many years ago. Beat me by about a bumper. That Polo would do high 14s. The baby seat in the back of the Astra was just a slap in the chops.

[@Birmingham_racing]

G40s are rare as hell

[@petersimpson5859]

@@Birmingham_racing it was a saloon with G40 running gear. Stiffer shell and better aerodynamics than the hatch. 25 years ago.

[@smhorse]

​@@Birmingham_racing: not just rare, but hilarious by VW standards. The idea of a supercharged Polo - a Polo, the suburban shopping car - was unheard of in 1990. Shame they didn't sell very well here.

[@oliverkykal8087]

The Astra GTE (in Germany Kadett GSI) was a real great car. The XE motor is one of the best motors Vauxhaul/Opel ever had, still today they are wanted. But compared to a Golf GTI the concepts are quite diffent. The Golf is shorter and has a shorter wheel base which makes it feel more dynamic. But in comfort the Astra is much better.

[@MP-po6fj]

The vauxhall 16v redtop back then ford had nothing to offer only a dated cvh 1. 6 turbo escort. Vauxhalls where far nipper even the 8v Sri 130 bhp. A flyer

[@xlr82u]

Sierra Cosworth? Very similar Cosworth designed 16v 2.0 as the Astra but with a Turbo. I guess the two weren't in direct competition price wise though

[@MP-po6fj]

@@xlr82u that would of been epic to get a drive in 2.0 redtop turbo in vaux nova gte even

[@thedrivebygg]

Great video, my mate had one and the interior back then was a step up from what had gone before, actually looks half decent even today.

[@Wabsy1]

Cavalier 130 sri 1988 was a machine too

I'd absolutely love a pre face lift mk2 SRi saloon!

[@senseofthecommonman]

Yep, had a GTE and later the SRI130.

[@daddymulk]

Was such a machine i was behind one in a 1.8 Basic Focus mk1 and it was holding me up 😂

[@seang2424]

Yea i had one it went like a bomb👍

[@Mottyz]

In my early 20's had a Red 8v not long after got my dream car a blue 16v, had it lowered on TSW's. Took a car full of young ravers all over the country, always got us home. Brilliant car, not much things were faster back then.

[@MiniBull-vq2yg]

I had 3 x GTE16v over the years (last one was a Champion). I also had a mk2 Golf Gti 16v - the Astra was in a different league, albeit they certainly needed wider wheels and uprated suspension.

[@SeanGavin-rf5vd]

Puzzling that the British 16V version had 14 inch wheels. In South Africa our (Opel Kadett GSI) 16V came standard with 15 inch wheels and 195/50R15 tyres.

[@agt155]

Astra 16v was no doubt faster, but Golf was the better car IMO. Also the 16v wasn't the fastest golf, there was the G60 too wonder how that would have fared vs Astra GTE. I had a Corrado G60 for a while and that was seriously quick.

[@MiniBull-vq2yg]

@@agt155 I can fully appreciate why people prefer the 16v Golf over the GTE16v. The Golf was definitely more planted, but for me, the Astra was more fun and the red-top engine so much better. I did like the Corrado G60, a very nice looking motor 👍

[@agt155]

​@@MiniBull-vq2yg Yeah the red-top was special. A Corrado with a red-top would have been a brilliant car.

[@MiniBull-vq2yg]

@@agt155 👌

[@johanslabbert2869]

So here in South Africa these were called the “Opel Kadett”, but essentially the same car. Massively popular during the late 80’s early 90’s, and rightly so, the entire range offered excellent performance and outstanding fuel efficiency. It was decently spacious, not as solidly built as the Golf 2, and it wasn’t a very sharp handling chassis. But it was good looking, had a comfortable ride, affordable to buy and run, and from the humble 1.3 carb to the hot 2L 16V offered some of the best petrol 4 cylinder engines available at the time. Even the entry level model could do nearly 180km/h, and seemingly without any strain. We of course received the “SuperBoss” version which was very fast and also became very crashed, finding a good unmodified example nowadays is virtually impossible. The local agents (Delta) put a lot of effort into improving the build quality, so the later models were much nicer, especially the interior. Overall these were excellent vehicles, it deserves its place in history and nostalgia.

[@cavturbonutta]

Quite funny hearing the comments on handling. Firstly, any kind of lowering springs are junk on mk2 and mk3 astras. I’ve had a mk2 golf gti 16v when I was younger and own a standard 16v GTE as in this video today. They do not handle badly or any worse than a Golf in my opinion. It’s a powerful engine in a basic car. The gold engine doesn’t even compare to it in performance. Grow some balls and learn how to handle it is all I can say. References to “quick in the day” make me chuckle, they can still see a lot of modern cars off if you haven’t forgotten how to drive a 16v NA engine. They handle better in standard form.

[@chrismirams9272]

Finally, a sensible comment buried amongst the Ford and VW fanboys 😂 People seem to forget that the GTE comes from an era of having to really drive the car to get the best from it and not like today's stuff which is literally stab a pedal and the electronics will do the rest 😢 I've owned a late 8 valve GTE and a 16v at the same time, tyres and decent suspension really do make a world of difference to the handling of these cars

[@DarrenH_76]

best modern review i've seen of the gte 16v, factual, enthusiastic and honest. well done (Darren: one of the admins of the owners club) if you manage to find one of the rarer leather editions to review in the future, its a different beast altogether by token of 15 inch wheels as standard. its my biggest criticism of the cars back in the day, completely under-tyred, and such a simple grave error in terms of cultural impact

[@Number27]

Great to hear you enjoyed this Darren.. means a lot that the owners club approves!!!

[@DaleSteel]

Any one remember the DAEWOO NEXIA from late 90s? They were actually half decent cars and the bigger engine version was abit of a pocket rocket although looked drab. Alot of people don't realise it was actually based on this generation Astra. If you look at a picture of a nexia now knowing this you'll see the similarity.

[@bzilla-d4i]

Yep they ran those Opel engines, as a kid the exhaust note gave it away as I basically knew nothing about Daewoo and it had me doing my research as youngster.

[@brianiswrong]

I remember they were sold in " shops" rather than showrooms.

[@PaulWilky-x6r]

Deewoo 😂😂bucket of shit mate 😂😂

[@jaycotto26]

Was it not daewoo who sold the design to Vauxhall / general motors? I know its been badged many different things around the world.

[@alexandrecouture2462]

Was it what we got in Canada as a Pontiac LeMans?

[@davidburns34]

One of the only cars I ever really loved growing up. Mine was a H reg, 8v in burgundy on TSW blades, James lowered suspension and tornado 2 pipe exhaust. Thanks for this review.

[@wessmith3161]

The red top will probably do down as one of the best 4 cylinder engines ever built. Engine wise it knocks spots off the VW units.

[@daveredford7272]

I had an H plate grey 16v, that was lowered and stiffened, to the extent that it was like a roller skate, no roll at all. That engine was something else, so powerful, had it up to 125mph before my a*** fell out as it just wanted to keep going. You're right about the theft though, I had mine de-locked, and then had an alarm and 2 immobilizers fitted to it. Thanks for the video, it was great to hear that engine roar again, I'd give my right arm to have a drive in one again. Loved that car.

[@cannonfodder691]

I had an 8v and a 16v the 16v was far better. I loved that car

[@fred3527]

I had an identical looking car, but with a boot (and spoiler) with a 1.6 fuel injected motor. It was called an Opel Monza GSi. Not the most substancial body, but the motor punched above it's weight and had exceptional fuel economy. I really liked that it looked identical to the highly sought after Kadet GSi 2.0l 16V (hatch), but just with a boot. It out performed it's competitor the Golf 1.8 (carburetor) by a good margin.

[@MP-po6fj]

Imagine the opel monza in 3 litre format. Must of been a beast of a thing.

[@douglasbooth6836]

My mate got done for 139mph in one if these back in the day. 1 year ban and time to save up for the new 2litre faster version.😂😂

[@markwood6700]

This is the 2 litre 16v the most powerful engine put in the gte in the UK.

[@douglasbooth6836]

@@markwood6700it was the 8v he got done in. Bought the 16v and had sbd tube it to 230hp.

[@Duda286]

I'm 24, I had one of those myself. I mean, kinda. We call them Chevrolet Kadett here in Brazil. There was a GS version and then GSi when fuel injection was introduced to it. When it was released here, it competed among the top 3 fastest production cars in the country. Mine was the 1989 GS, still carbureted, 2.0, originally run on Ethanol. The car itself was and still is very popular here, but that version, which looks just like this one in the video but with an analog dashboard, carburated and only 8v, had so so many extra details here and there that I never really figured out all of them. A water level sensor. Brake pad wear sensors. Rear shocks factory fitted with tube valves for you to adjust the height of the rear suspension in any gas station. A door light which turns on when you open the door. The clock-looking-trip-computer. Electric mirrors. Brand name (Recaro) sport seats, the driver's one having 'length' and height adjustments other than the normal stuff. Black side skirts. Roof air vents. Not to mention more known extra features like sunroof, AC, hydraulic steering. Some cars would have one or two of those features but I had seen no car with even close to all of them before from the factory. I was 17 when we brought it home.. what a day. Mine had to face an unhappy ending due to eternally unsolved legal disputes. But what a car. I'm glad to know it was also very appreciated around the world (like jeez #1 stolen car in britain lmao) That said, yea, he mentioned the weird steering. That was the same hydraulic steering off of a GM truck. That stuff was way too OP and it would bounce your steering wheel everywhere if anything was slightly too loose or worn out. I think that's the low point actually. I would have swapped it for a non-assisted steering system.

[@meirionwilliams-w1p]

It's such a cliché when people say the golf gti is a better car. When in reality they're absolute💩

[@martindutko5198]

Nah golf mk2 gti is solid car. Reliable and fun.

[@meirionwilliams-w1p]

Again cliché

[@martindutko5198]

No cliché, experience.

[@meirionwilliams-w1p]

😂😂😂😂

[@geertterharmsel]

@@martindutko5198 drive a clio williams or a peugeot 205 en reconsider

[@Inazuma68]

I had 2 of them an put on 15“ with 195 Bridgestone RE 71. that helped a lot. I loved that car. And yes they are Recaros as always in the sporty Opels

[@Cycle.every.day.]

They were a rocket ship for their day.

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Well they seemed like they were quick. I then moved onto a 1988 Saab 9000 2.0 Carlsson with 204bhp. That was mental for the time, beating a Sierra Cossie to 60.

[@NeilSmith-hu4wg]

Love to see all the Vauxhall lovers on here . Was a qualified mechanic and workshop owner for many years . Always said driving any Vauxhall was like driving a wardrobe. Speed ain't everything and will never come close .

[@daniellee9015]

Absolutely brilliant video jack ❤👍 back in the day we had a MK2 cavalier on a 1.6 at 3000000 thousand miles engine started burning oil so we got a new engine from a astra GTE 1.8 8 valve it was then put in the cavalier which was a base model it was on a carburettor the first time I drove it omg it was lethal lethal they said the astra GTE engine was same as the 1.8 unit from another vauxhall wasn't it was miles different to fast and pond u in your seat it was brutal to be honest I nonce had a race with a nissan Sylvia with a turbo and kept up with it brilliant

[@Number27]

😆😆😆 great to hear your memories!

[@Stanners13]

This video is bringing me back some memories of my old red Astra GTE 16v I had back in 1990 with bucket sports seat, digital dashboard and rear spoiler! 0 to 60 mph in sub 6 seconds, which was very quick back in those days, but I have to say the car looks so accent by today’s standards!

[@TorCow1234]

It's so cool to see alternate universe (okay- different country) versions of cars that I remember from my childhood. Here in the US, that familiar Opel Kadett shape was only received as one car: A Pontiac LeMans courtesy of Daewoo. I think we got a 1.6 with 74hp and later a 2 liter with 95hp. They were just... a car. Now, that 16v Red Top engine *and* being seated behind digital instrument panel with "LCD Electronics!" (that rolling drum odometer with digits mimicking a seven segment display is awesome)... I would've hooned that with a grin!

[@markfox1545]

*alternative. Alternate means to switch repeatedly between two different things.

[@TorCow1234]

​@@markfox1545 Yes, it does, but you're giving an example of "alternate" being used as a verb or an adjective; I'm using it as a noun. In this case, "alternate" and "alternative" mean the same thing, and one is no more correct than the other.

[@vintagebicyclenut5764]

Had a June 1988 20XE Model in Carmine Red E Plate. It was 173.5BHP Standard. The first 1200 made were 168 to 175BHP.. Steel Cranked, forged racing slipper pistons, XE Cam profile and Coscast heads. This car required nerves of steel getting it around corners. Lift of oversteer would be present if you backed off mid way around the corner. Too much power into a corner would result in understeer. If you feathered the power into a bend and out it was no problem and very rewarding. A true drivers car and worthy of the crown of 80s hot hatch King. Nothing could touch it on sheer power and top end. . Mine would break traction in the first three gears and would get up to 152 MPH on the arfield. And by the way Jack I lived in Oxford at the time and yes joyriding at Blacbird Leys was known worldwide. CNN News rented out a flat in one of the Tower Blocks in Blacbird Leys and filmed the Joyriding and Rioting. Oxford was called the City of Screaming Tyres not the City of Dreaming Spires in 1991

[@garethmayfield4014]

I lived on Blackbird lees. I used to leave my 205 CTI with the roof down, no issues. Apparently I was classed as a top bloke and left alone.

[@limpet7r63]

I lived on Barton during this era and never had any bother either. You just needed to know the right people.

[@alanwayte432]

Rain

[@mrpeel6831]

Nope u just had a cti

[@colinsmith7385]

Great nostalgia, thank you. I owned a lot of Astra GTEs (Mk1 and Mk2) back in the day. It was the 8v GTE which had the 'torque' style rev counter. My last Astra GTE 16v ended up with a 6-speed Calibra gearbox (modified to 2WD) with an LSD, a set of Jenvey throttle bodies and the Champion edition full leather interior. Fabulous fun. Long gone now though I'm afraid.

[@solly001]

Had a gte 16v late 90s. But my fav was the 205 gti 1.9. They handled Better. The 5gt turbos were pretty cool as well. A little later the Clio Willy was a decent motor. Then the Subarus came along and smashed everything.

[@Doggymcdoggy664]

I had a 1.4 16valve I. That was a little rocket. Vauxhall corsa. It was Twenty years old when I got it. Great little drive.

[@Flashy1993]

I had 3 of these 2 white 1 red all 8v. My brother in law had a silver one that he decided to take around a bend at 70mph lost control and smashed head on into a range rover. We spun around a few times and ended up in a ditch. We both walked away with no injuries. Not only did i love owning these cars but pretty sure one saved my life.

[@KekeElBecko]

I've always loved everything GM, including Vauxhall stuff. Their cars always seemed to be firmly blue collar. HP Firenza, HS Chevette, Astra GTE. The fastest Astras always seemed to have more muscle than the competition, two fingers to the torque steer consequences.

[@johnsnowdon2939]

Can certainly attest to the 20XE motor being an absolute belter. It's pretty much the closest thing to be a naturally aspirated Cosworth YB, out of the box. I ran a red-top in my mk1 Escort for a number of years as a track car, and even with just a set of sidedraught carbs on it was plenty of power to throw that little car around like no-one's business! Certainly seems to be more engine than its original home in the Astra GTE could handle!

[@Schuey_M]

My Dad had a Cavalier GSI2000 16v. Basically it was the same engine. If I remember correctly the newer Cavalier handled better than the Mk2 Astra GTE. What a great car it was and I remember my Dad taking it off the clock on the M40 back in the day!

[@robmthe1st]

I miss my gte 16v champion edition. I loved it. Cornered like a boat, but very quick.

[@bloodynorahvan2203]

wow - blast from the past! All engine, looks and no handling I seem to recall! Also had a lot of fun in the 1.8 SRi! The 2.0 16V was developed from a racing engine, so the marketing said at the time. They did use the engine in the single seater series

[@SmithyMC]

Such Nostalga - I owned a Rare "Aubergine 158 Bhp Version and was 2nd owner for over 3 Years Until it was Stolen when I had 116,000 Mile on the clock and involved in Police Chase Whilst I was on Holiday in Jersey! Absolute Beast in a Straight Line but Those corners scared the xxxx out of you. I had Upgraded the Springs/Shocks to KONI which made it Handle Better but not a sgood as My Golf GTI. Anyways Great to see this Video! Yes a Rocket Ship! A toolbox in the Boot helps just like we had to in the Ford Capri!

[@jeremywentworth1833]

91 i bought at 21 an F reg 16V GTE , mates after bought 205GTi's 5GT Turbos , Mk2 Golf 16V GTis & everyone said my car was the quicker better to drive & better inside having electric windows , tilt and slide sunroof power steering etc. Each of the others didn't have what the GTE did. Golf GTis still had windy windows. 5 GY turbos didn't have power steering..So definitely best hot hatch of its time.

[@agt155]

Both my mk2 Golf Gtis had electric windows - probably an option.

[@DrGammaMindset]

Had one of these in the 90s, absolutely fantastic car, I'd had a vw golf mk2 gti before it which was awesome but the gte was as good and a bit quicker. The digital dash was a treat. Happy days.

[@MP-po6fj]

I thought the mk2 gold gti handled better. The mk2 jetta 16v was even better chassis. Like a go kart. Trusted the jetta 16v out of the three tbh

[@MarkReading]

OMG - those were the days. I had 3 of them - 1st was a 1.8l 8V, then came a 2.0l 8V and finally, a 2.0l 16v and luv'd them all. Great days they were.....

[@brianjames5685]

19 years old 1992. I found one to buy but then I rang the insurance. They all said a firm no thanks lol. Ended up buying an 8 valve Astra SRI which I had for years, it understeered constantly. Got an XR2 next which is when I realized just how bad the handling was on the Astra. That GTE 16 valve is lovely though.